Before Kathryn Stockett's novel, The Help, became a national bestseller and the basis of an award-winning movie, the author received nearly sixty rejections.
John Grisham's first novel, A Time to Kill, was rejected by at least thirty houses before it was published.
Name any favorite author - JK Rowling, Stephen King, and even Beatrix Potter - and you will discover that each has received his share of wallpaper...
and not necessarily dollar bills.
Rejection is as much a part of the publishing process as is the acceptance, and a writer looking for a publisher you should know what to do when you receive that "thanks but no thanks" letter.
Most likely, when do you receive a rejection letter or e-mail from an agent, editor, or publisher, you will get a form notice that thanks you for your submission, explains that your work did not meet their current needs, then wishes you the best in your career.
Occasionally you might receive a more explanatory reason why an editor passed on your work - the house doesn't work in your genre, there were issues with the story or characters, etc.
- and there may be times you hear nothing at all.
I once received a rejection that was my original query returned to me with the word PASS scrawled across it in black marker.
When you receive a rejection, what do you do? As somebody who has worked on both sides of the fence, I would recommend one of two things: 1) Prepare your book/query for the next editor/agent, and start thinking about your next book.
2) If sent via e-mail, reply with "Thank you very much," and hit send.
Then do the task mentioned above.
That is all.
You need only thank the agent or editor for his time, and move on.
Now, getting rejected will likely hurt - I know the feeling very well.
Your first instinct may be to ask for details and what could be done to improve your work, and you might even be tempted to send a nasty reply.
There are definitely reasons why it is better to just let go and move forward.
One thing to consider about the manuscript acquisition process is that the agency or house that received your book could have dozens, if not more, books in a pile for review.
To read through and evaluate every single one takes time, and often not much is left for somebody to craft personal and detailed replies to authors.
You might ask for more details and not receive them if that is not a priority.
Responding rudely or in a manner that could be construed as nasty may land you in trouble in the long run, too.
It's important to note that people in the industry know each other.
If you offend somebody at Publisher A, there is the risk that person will mention it to Publisher B, thereby decreasing the chance of finding a home for your book there.
This is not to say this happens all the time, but some people in the industry have long memories - how do you want to be remembered? Rejection is frustrating, yes.
In my opinion, the best way to overcome it is to step back, go over your book once more, and take it to the next place.
One rejection doesn't necessarily represent the industry as a whole.
Just as one person took a chance on Stephen King and JK Rowling, there is always the possibility somebody is waiting for your book.